Manny Diaz on Rule No. 1 of Miami’s QB situation: ‘Don’t burn the building down’
Who’s the No. 1 quarterback at the University of Miami?
Still undetermined.
For the media, Tuesday is quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Dan Enos day at spring football practices, and since the quarterback race is of the utmost importance until that first snap (and onward) against Florida in the Aug. 24 season opener, that’s always a good thing.
Enos was particulary intense Tuesday — session No. 7 of spring football — when speaking of the QB race, but we’re realizing quickly that Enos is pretty much always intense.
His first seven words Tuesday after being asked about the quarterbacks’ progress: “Not near where we need to be.’’
His next five words: “Not near a championship level.”
Enos said “fundamentals and techniques, learning our system and also defensive identification are the biggest areas” that need to improve. Enos added that “50-60 percent’’ of the offense has been installed.
So, the competition among redshirt sophomore and returning part-time starter N’Kosi Perry, redshirt freshman Jarren Williams and recent Ohio State transfer Tate Martell goes on.
Here’s what Enos said about each of them:
▪On Martell: “He’s like all of them. They’re getting better in some areas. Tate is much more comfortable with the terminology than he was early. He’s thrown the ball pretty effectively the last couple of days.
“We’re really, really working with his eyes in the pocket — his eyes and his feet and his posture. He drifts around on his drops a lot. There’s not a real distinct set of timing in his drops. It’s something that’s new for him. He’s gotta learn how to transition what we’re asking him to do with his feet and do it during team situations when I’m not standing there with him telling him to do it every day.”
▪ On Jarren Williams and N’Kosi Perry, who were lumped together in one question when we were told we had one question left to ask: “They’ve been up and down a little bit. Jarren’s come out here and made terrific throws. He’s had situations where he’s had some mental lapses, as well.
“Saturday, [Perry] had his best day. on Saturday, N’Kosi had a great day. He graded very high. I saw poise, I saw a passer, I saw a guy get through his progression. And then today we gotta watch the tape, but I think he had a little bit of a step back today. But certainly these things are expected.
“But I’ve seen good out of all three of them, and we just got to keep grinding. I don’t mean to say this like I’m like Mr. Competitive or Mr. know-it-all. I’m not saying that. I’m just saying we have very high standards. I have very high standards for them. We’re going to try to correct everything they do because at the end of the day we’re going to try to get whoever is under center to get that to be the best product we can possibly be and get him to play the best that they can.”
Coach Manny Diaz said coaches “haven’t even talked about’’ whether quarterbacks will be live and able to be tackled during the first closed scrimmage, which is closed to the media and public, on Saturday. Diaz did say he would like to have all three quarterbacks take equal snaps, unless someone is messing up and Enos decides to discipline them by taking playing time away.
Diaz wants the “critical errors’’ by quarterbacks eliminated. He said that’s his first concern and that the QBs are getting better in that area.
“Don’t burn the building down,’’ Diaz said.
Diaz said he really can’t judge much “until we have 21 guys around [the quarterback] playing football. That’s when... again, when it’s routes on air... Hey, you need to get a bunch of guys around and you need to get the dynamic of changing defensive coverages around you to see who can make the decisions, who can do it accurately and who can avoid the critical error.’’
▪ Safety Amari Carter was seen at the end of media viewing in a walking boot. “It’s just a day-to-day thing,’’ Diaz said. “One of those things that just helps calm it down. Hope to get him back Thursday.”
▪ Tight end Brevin Jordan, who sprained his knee last Tuesday at practice, was not seen at practice. “Same deal,’’ Diaz said. “Sort of day-to-day deal.’’
This story was originally published April 2, 2019 at 2:41 PM.
